STL A La Mode

November 23, 2006

Forget Black Friday: Indy Shopping Roundup

If Miss Cherry gets one more emailed press release about "Black Friday" (and its sibling bane, "Cyber Monday"), Miss Cherry might lose her trademark cool and who knows what might happen then?

The only thing that calms her down, besides referring to herself in the queenly third person, is looking at the following impressive list of non-corporatized holiday-related shopping opportunities. If you know of others, please add 'em in the comments!

• Saturday, November 25/Sunday, November 26: Rock N Roll Craft Show, at Mad Art Gallery, 2727 S. 12th St., noon-9 Sat./noon-6 Sun., www.rocknrollcraftshow.com (bonus fun: watch the hilarious and slightly ribald Sock Monkey video)
  
  
• Thanksgiving to January 31, 2007: Artisan Space @ Subterranean Books, 6275 Delmar, www.subbooks.com (local craftisans stock the shop, from skull soaps to, curiously, handmade sock monkeys, with a grand opening celebration on Dec. 2)
  
  
• Saturday, December 2: Urban Knitters Benefit Sale (with Big Small Town Designs), at Hartford Coffee Company, 3974 Hartford, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (Chicks with sticks vend groovy scarves, tons of baby/toddler/grownup hats and much more, with 100% of proceeds going to the good work of Women's Support and Community Services; joined by their pal Bill Michalski, rockin' the Lou with his new Big Small Town cards)
  
  
• Saturday, December 2: Mother to Mother Holiday Boutique, at McKnight Road Church of Christ, 2515 S. McKnight Rd., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Local jewelry, handbags, gourmet tasties, gift baskets and more, supporting the work of this local pregnancy/post-partum support group)
  
  
• Friday, December 8 - Sunday, December 10: Independent Art Market at Shaw's Gallery, 4065 Shaw Ave., 6 p.m.-midnight Fri./noon-midnight Sat./noon-6 p.m. Sun., www.independentartmarket.org (where everyone who's anyone will either be selling -- we're looking at you, Lull, Firecracker Press, Kung Fu Chicken, Marie Oberkirsch and the rest of ya -- or buying; this year, tons of entertainment sweetens the deal. See the schedule for more info.)
  
  
• Saturday, December 9: Home Eco Gift Wrap-In, at 4611 Macklind Ave., call 314-351-2000 for times (What else would you expect from the green patrol? Bring in your present pile, and in exchange for a donation to one of the admirable nonprofits on-site, folks like Shining Rivers School, Clowder House and the like, a volunteer will wrap 'em up in recycled paper with pretty baubles and notions. You, in the meantime, can enjoy cookies and organic milk. Yum!)
  
  

UPDATE, 11/29:
I've also just been informed about the "Find Your Inner Santa" Holiday Art Sale, Saturday, Dec. 2, at Jefferson Underground Gallery (one block north of Gravois) at 2400 S. Jefferson, from 9 am-5 pm, featuring more than 20 area artists selling everything from paintings to jewelry.